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Scottish football: Celtic boss Ronny Deila admits interest in signing Cardiff's Kim Bo-kyung

Celtic manager Ronny Deila in the match against St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership
Image: Celtic manager Ronny Deila is keen to sign Cardiff's Kim

Celtic manager Ronny Deila admits he is interested in bringing Cardiff midfielder Kim Bo-kyung to Celtic Park.

Deila, who is close to completing a loan move for Rubin Kazan winger Mubarak Wakaso, wants to add at least two or three new signings to boost his squad.

"That's a guy (Kim) we have been talking about but we haven't done anything concrete," he said.

"It's not about numbers, it's about quality. If we can get players who can make the team and the squad better, it could be two or three players. But if we don't find that, it could be zero."

The Celtic boss claims that central defender Virgil van Dijk is back to his best after being adversely affected by transfer speculation linking him with a move to Newcastle.

"What we have been focused on is getting Virgil performing at the top level because we think he has been a little down at the beginning of the season," he said.

What we have been focused on is getting Virgil performing at the top level because we think he has been a little down at the beginning of the season
Ronny Deila

"The last two weeks he has been fantastic and is up at the level that we want him. He is fit now, much fitter than he was at the end of last season, and when he is performing he will do well for Celtic, and will also get opportunities if that's what is right for him.

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"But I think now it's good to be here, hope for the Champions League, and then he can develop even more at Celtic."

Deila was famed for developing young players in Norway and he feels it was only natural Van Dijk became distracted.

"I think every player does that, especially when he's young," he said. "I have been through those periods so many times with players, especially young players.

"It's hard because you can tell them what is happening and that they are losing focus, but they have to understand it themselves.

"That's something you have to go through. But Virgil has been fantastic in the last games and is just a fantastic football player."

Delia wants Celtic to emulate Ajax and Barcelona by filling the team with home-grown talent like Callum MacGregor who scored in the 1-1 Champions League play-off first-leg draw against Maribor.

"I didn't know anything about him before we started training," the Norwegian said. "He is a good player and he knows what he is doing.

"I'm really looking forward to working further with him because he has a lot to develop as well. He's a young talent and he's a Celtic boy, that's important.

"It's important to get Scottish players, players who have come through the youth, but it's very hard as well, because the level you are asked to be at, Champions League, is unbelievably hard.

"It's very hard to have only Celtic boys in the team. Then I don't think we will be Champions League.

"But hopefully in the future hopefully we can go more the way like Ajax and Barcelona, if we can work very well with the academy and find the same direction, I think things will happen."